I have an aluminum clad boxtruck with 16"O.C. 1’ deep studs. It had 3/8" plywood screwed in. I was planning on removing the plywood and filling the void with 1" foam board insulation and then another layer over top followed by the original plywood back in place. That should be about R-10. Should there be sound deadening sticky pads put on first; or a vapor barrier used? Following checking out insulation, I am now leaning toward using Prodex !/2" R-17 foiled insulation that will save an extra inch for the finished inside width, almost doubling the R Value for just a little more money. It pays to shop around! Anyone have any experience with foiled inslation rolls?
Under the box as far as floor is concerned, there are 2" high metal I-Beam type joists spaced 16"O.C. that I was going to fill with foamboard insulation. I am hoping that will be enough insulation for the floor so I could save the original on-edge butcher block flooring to sand and finish; saving height and material costs overall. Anybody have any thoughts about sealing it underneath with something like flex seal?
Insulation is kind of a double edge sword…
While it can slow the transfer heat/cold, it can also trap moisture. We need proper ventilation to combat moisture buildup, and that proper ventilation largely defeats the advantages of a lot of insulation.
I’ve built many campers over the years, of all shapes and sizes, including my current 40’ bus. With or without insulation, moisture has always been the biggest problem.
So in this bus, I added no extra insulation, only carpet & padding on the floor. It doesn’t appear to be noticeably harder to heat or cool, it just doesn’t last quite as long once the heat/cooling is turned off.
The interesting part is that I have no moisture problems with this bus, something I’ve fought for many many years. My conclusion seems to be that a good climate control system, coupled with proper ventilation, is far more important than insulation.
In all fairness, I have no idea if this bus has any factory insulation or not. I have never removed a single interior panel. I only removed the seats then carpeted it. All the opening windows are a godsend for ventilation and the shoulder seasons, and screens keep the bugs out.
Thanks for the input. I too am focusing on ventilation solutions to the old age problem with moisture. It amazes me to think that nowadays, a foil faced poyethyline foam roll at less than a 1/2" could effectively have a R-17 rating, Seems perfect for box truck walls. Would it be good as well under floors, sealed in with a little spray foam and finished with some undercoating? I wonder if it would be good to line the vent/chases with foil faced insulation? I will also have to make my own dampers/diverters to fit the modualar size of the chase, but it will give a lot of flexiblity in the different types of ventilation needed for different seasons and or places. I’m going to splurge a little on the skinny insulation to R-34, and see how it goes! Time to check out the tapes and adhesives!
I tend to be skeptical of the insulation ratings… Maybe they’re accurate for a house, but there’s a lot more variables in vehicles.
HI
I insulated my Luton box campervan using Shield Autocare self adhesive insulation, comes in 7mm and 10mm thickness!
Did you use any sound deadening material before applying the insulation? I was wondering if a layer of spray foam insulation before applying the foiled roll insulation would be good to do as far as reducing road noise…
This type insulation is recomended for a metal pole barn, which is what a box truck pretty much is. Am I being overly confident anticipating it’s effectiveness? Should I put in a layer of foam overtop or this? Light weight in the ceiling will make it doable without sacrificing ceiling height.
No side windows, in the box, only a skylight; big by most standards at 3’ X6’ . I hope to make home-made chases and air box vents lined with insulation, routed to reach all corners of the box for water, air, and wires as needed. I want to utilize in-line fans to able to circulate the inside air to help balance temperature throughout the year. It would also be vented for exhaust and intake with in line fans rather than fixed skylights. The kitchen and shower will have a dedicated exhaust as well. The composting toilet containment system will have it’s own small exhaust. What am I forgetting? Is it worth all the effort? I want to be able to
add circuits and wire or air lines later; having easy access chases available down the road.
I generally prefer the foam board insulation. Some prefer polyiso, but I honestly can’t tell much difference. Any of the foam boards also act as sound deadening.
Inline fans tend to be extremely noisy, most use the large computer fans instead. Only exhaust is needed, because it will draw the air in through the intake. Many use no fans, but use top & bottom of the wall vents for natural passive airflow, but are also closeable. I use louvered vents on the outside to make them rain resistant, with a slightly down sloped channel on the inside so if any rain gets in it will drain to the outside. Then closeable flaps on the inside. Don’t forget to add screen behind the outside vent covers.
I like to run my wires & hoses in channels running along the tops & bottoms of the walls, with a piece of easily removable trim hiding them. This allows easy access whenever needed.
With no compost pile or bin to dump your toilet contents into, you will just be emptying it into the trash. For this reason I prefer a cheap DIY urine separating bucket style toilet for ease of use and emptying. The capacity is about the same, but without the possibly problematic moving parts. Mine is not vented to the outside, but the lid eliminates any lingering odors. I do have an exhaust for the bathroom though.